Recent content by gnique

As has been mentioned, Aldo had some 52100 that was very nice but spheroidized for machinability, it would not get above 63HRC regardless of the soak, so I worked out a heat treating regimen that involved a quick normalization at 1650F to dissolve the 95%+ spheroidal condition and allowed you to...

I may be simplifying this beyond reason but here is a summary of what I understand so far: 1. Normalization dissolves carbides. 2. Carbides can be formed either from iron or other alloying metals. 3. Carbide dissolution occurs at somewhere near 1600 degrees F. 4. Carbides re - form in...

Darrin: If this is becoming too thick headed and repetitive it is because of my literal thinking and thick skull - but you didn't say anything about normalizing. I know that 1095 is considered a simple steel but it is the highest carbon content of the simple steels and it is hypereutectic. My...

Try using a big file (a really big file) and some various coins as shims. Over flex it some (by "some" I mean you just have to do it by "feel"). It may take time or two but the method really does work. I make kitchen knives which are really very thin so they warp a lot (even more than your blade...

Darrin: Your instruction set was quite clear and understandable and I believe that I have a very vague understanding of what the normalization process is. But if 52100 has about the same carbon content as O1, should not O1 be normalized in a similar way? I see a lot written about how very much...

So it could be the nickel. I wonder if by extension the same thing would happen with L6. I used L6 (could have been L6 - Ha!) when I was cutting up saw blades that I got at the scrap yard. I was happy to just get the scale rivets to lineup in those days. I may order some L6 and see what happens...

There is something that I do that I have been told that I should NOT do. I make blades by the batch. I first do all of the shaping that I am going to do while the blade steel is as it came from my supplier. The next thing I do is apply an anti oxidant compound to all of the blades. The next...

Thank you, Kevin. You are very generous with your time and knowledge. Time and knowledge are the things that life is made of. There are many people who are better off having known you.

Kevin Cashen has written a lot about quenchants, their speeds, types, preheat temperatures etc. He has also mentioned that the quenchant information is based on the quenchant having been properly maintained, not warn out, still good, untrashed (I really don't remember his exact words: "not...

I have both systems. I bought the Wicked Edge because I could, with absolute certainty, put an edge on a newly made knife without scratching the polished surface. It works just fine. It is pretty well made. The Edge Pro is very well made. It will put a superb edge on a knife and it is not...

I figured out in the beginning that some of the stuff had to be controlled. I figured that there was no reason to cut out and shape a blade if I didn't know at least the rudiments of attaching a handle to it. I bought five blank blades from Texas Knife-makers and put handles on them. That gave...

This question may not be germane to this experiment but I still would like to be informed about a process that was done during preparation of the steel coupons. It looks to me like that the steel that was used is just plane ole flat stock steel. Other than cutting coupons and drilling holes no...

Thank you, Kevin. As usual, the answer generated more questions. Let's say you buy five gallons of fast oil and five gallons of medium oil. It follows that the medium won't work as well for 1095 as will the fast oil but how about fast oil for the medium steels? What happens when you quench, say...

In one of my sophomore engineering classes I finally got absolutely FED up with how my professor was drawing examples of bridges in the board. Now you have to understand that you need to keep your mouth shut in engineering classes because as one of my other professors once said "I know...

This thread seems like an appropriate place to ask a question that I have wanted to ask for a very long time. I bought five gallons of CLC Quench K 186. I bought it because I really didn't know any thing at all about quenchants (I still don't). All I knew was that I thought that I wanted a fast...